Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State (Freshman of the Year)

Marcus Smart is SN's Freshman of the Year for 2012-13. (AP Photo)

Smart’s fingerprints are all over an Oklahoma State team that has spent much of the season ranked in the top 25 and will make the NCAA Tournament after missing the big dance each of the past two seasons. The 6-4, 225-pound point guard averaged 15.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.0 steals during the regular season, and he’s been at his best during the biggest games—such as when he scored 25 points as the Cowboys snapped Kansas’ 33-game home court winning streak.

Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA

Muhammad entered the season as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2013, and he finished the regular season as the best player in the Pac-12. Along the way, he’s developed a better-than-expect shot from 3-point range (41.7 from beyond the arc) and helped lead the Bruins to the league’s regular-season title. UCLA coach Ben Howland has already said Muhammad will enter the NBA Draft after this season, so all that’s left is for the lefty to try and add a memorable final chapter in the NCAA Tournament.

Nerlens Noel, Kentucky

Noel is a deserving member of this team despite the gruesome knee injury that ended his outstanding freshman season on Feb. 12. In his 24 games, the 6-10 Noel averaged 4.4 blocks, 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game; his total of 106 blocks on the year is fifth in the country. Here’s more perspective on how much his shot-blocking ability impacted Kentucky—Noel had 60 blocks in 11 SEC contests before the injury; Ole Miss’ Marshall Henderson, the SEC’s leading scorer, made 64 field goals in his first 11 SEC contests.

Ben McLemore, Kansas

NBA scouts love this redshirt freshman, and with good reason—he has all the necessary skills to thrive at the next level. McLemore attacks the basket with power, can knock down 3-pointers (43.4 percent from beyond the arc this season) and has the ability to be a lock-down defender. He scored at least 20 points nine times this season, and in three of those games—against Iowa State, Kansas State and West Virginia—he scored at least 30.

Anthony Bennett, UNLV

Bennett was one of the last elite prospects to choose his college, but his impact at UNLV was immediate. The powerful 6-8 forward scored at least 22 points in 10 of his first 17 games, which was a huge boost to a team dealing with injury issues through most of the non-conference schedule. A shoulder injury down the stretch knocked his final numbers down a bit, but he still finished the regular season averaging 15.7 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and knocking down 30 3-pointers on the season.